Year: 2010

Serendipity

Life is full of joy, wonder, and serendipitous moments. This is the story of one of those moments. During the course of this amazing discourse called blogging, I have met a number of other incredible artists. One of these is an artist in Indiana, named Leslie White. Today, I tell that story and showcase a project we “worked” on together. (She did ALL of the work!)

Last year, I used a painting by Dave Allen for my header. It was “Lavender Sunset.” You may remember it.

One day, an artist from Indiana did a google search. I can’t remember if it was for watercolors, or lavender watercolors, or exactly what she searched for, but she found my site due to Dave’s painting.

After following my blog for a while, she became intrigued with my header for last summer. You may also remember this one:

And decided to paint it. She painted it in six different ways. I have her final attempt, hanging on my wall. One of the many things I like about Leslie’s painting, is that is completely different close-up then when viewed from across the room.

This is a closer view. It is almost abstract, but the vision is clear.

Here is what it looks like from across the room.

And here it is from a different angle.

Both Leslie and I were tickled that my rosy colored beige wall set this off so well. It was if I chose that color wall to set off her painting, but I did not. Her painting chose its spot on my wall.

Leslie, the artist, is the consummate teacher – both in the classroom and on the internet. She did 6 different versions of this photograph over the course of 6-8 weeks, explaining her process along the way. She has posted them all to her blog, and has received an incredible number of responses. She considers this a “joint” process, and maybe it is. If you are at all interested in the creative process, its explanations, others views of the process, then see all six versions of the paintings she did from one photograph Sea and Sky here.

While you are there, take a look at some of her other work. You will learn about the creative process from a true wonder. Leslie and I may never meet in person, but we have met, and continue to meet in our art. You are a gem, Leslie White.

New Header Voting Results!

The results are in. These were the top three photographs in our reader’s choice poll:

First, and our new header is of Spruce Creek, taken by Jessica Westermeyer, staff at Tree Bones Resort, on Willow Creek Rd. Congratulations, Jessica!

Spruce Creek by Jessica Westermeyer

You can see more of Jessica’s photography here: Jessica’s smugmug

Our second place winner is by Martha Diehl of Rainbow at Rocky Creek Bridge. Congratulations, Martha!

Rainbow Bridge by Martha Diehl

Martha doesn’t have a link to online photographs, or if she does, I don’t know about it!

And in third place is Avis Latone with Aloe at Lucia Lodge:

Aloe at Lucia Lodge

You can see more of her photographs at her blog: bigsurwoman

Thank you to all of you who were willing to be a part of this grand experiment and to put your photographs up for others to look at and enjoy. They were all fantastic! This wee contest was so successful, I plan to host another for the summer header photograph. A new photo contest for the summer header will be announced sometime in June. So, think ahead. I got 4 inquiries/photos after the photo contest closed, for this one. While you are thinking — think landscapes shots that will most likely fit into the format I am stuck with.

Note, some votes continue to be posted, but they do not count after 3/19 at midnight. I cannot “close” the voting without deleting the post, and I do not want to do that. In any event, the results will not change.

Spring in the Garden of Good and … not so good

My garden is eclectic. Somewhat like me. It is not in the best of shape, this year, and hasn’t been for a while, as I struggle to make a living up here. I work long and hard, but unfortunately, not in my garden. Maybe next year. So you won’t see “long” shots – only close-ups. Like this one:

Apricot Tree

It’s in a hole surrounded by hardware cloth, but the gophers are still going for it!

My garden is a mixture of volunteer and transplanted natives – both Big Sur and California, and exotics. My watering system is by hand, with a garden hose. No blanket watering, no drip system (I’ve tried that, the gophers eat it) and no sprinklers. Each plant that needs water, particularly those that supply food, get “dripped” by hand by my hose.

?

These little guys have been around for a few years. So long, I am always surprised when they pop up each spring, but I’ve lost the memory of what they are. Sweet, anyway.

Manzanita in bloom

This is a volunteer. It is either Hooker’s Manzanita or Hoover’s Manzanita, but I think the former, the big seed. It is like a weed up here, but the CNPS always gets excited when they see it!

Tulip

I have never planted tulips before, although I have planted many, many bulbs. Unfortunately, most bulbs seem to be gophers favorite foods. They ate dozens of lilies, which I adore, so I learned to plant my lilies in pots. But I found some tulips and decided to give them a go. Some time after I planted them in a raised bed, having forgotten they were there, I scattered a couple of native wildflower packets. Now, the tulips are covered, for the most part, but still coming up and forming buds.

Wildflowers amuck

I know I am supposed to thin them back, but I always have trouble doing that. Any seed strong enough to send up a sweet green shoot deserves a chance. I know, I know … but it is like baby killing to me. I let them compete. Maybe I will eventually, but right now, all those sweet seedlings are life inspiring to me.

Hummingbird Sage

Once I convinced the guy who weed whacks for me that this is NOT a weed, well, it started spreading like one!

BTW, I haven’t forgotten that most people voted they wanted to see me post more shots of Big Sur gardens, and I have permission from a couple people already, but most want their gardens photographed in the spring, not fall or winter, so I hope to get out and get a few soon!
And remember to vote, if you have not already. New header goes up tomorrow!

March Wildflowers

Some of last month’s gems are starting to fade, but new ones are coming along to take their place. These are just a few of the flowers I saw yesterday. Some of the tiny ones really need a macro lens to do them justice, which I don’t have yet. One of these days … sigh …

Fields of Popcorn flowers

I don’t know the botanical name for these flowers, but they can cover an entire field with their tiny flowers. Here is a closer look with a poppy.

(Note took down the ceanothus and buttercup photo as it did not seem to be loading properly every time I loaded this page.)

And who could resist a lupine backed by the ocean and mountains?

Lupine

I have more, but it is too beautiful to be inside on the computer. Need some sun time.

Voting ends Friday at midnight

Have you voted, yet? So far, 79 people have voted, and it is tied between the rainbow over the bridge, and the mossy creek. I’ll try to get the March wildflower post up by tomorrow evening, so you can see what is in bloom down here on the South Coast! More great weather in store for all of us sun seekers.

Old Redwood

There is a very old Redwood Tree on Plaskett Ridge Road, maybe the oldest here, that has developed in an unusual way, due to losing its top.

Old Redwood

From a distance, it looks like two trees, growing closely together.
Redwood #2

but a closer look reveals it is a branch, from which a vertical branch has grown.
Redwood #3

An even closer look reveals the junction.
Redwood #4

A different perspective.

For some reason, I have always thought of these ancient redwoods as “the grandfathers.” The Quercus lobatas (Valley Oaks) I think of as “the grandmothers.” They teach me whatever I am willing to learn, and are very patient with me.

(All photos courtesy of Rock Knocker)

bigsurkate news

First, the voting on the new Spring Header photo is going great! Keep it up. This tells me I need to see about doing these more than twice a year, and am strongly considering that option. We love seeing the work of all sorts of photographers of our beloved coast. Voting continues until March 19th at midnight, so make your voice heard!

Second, after 19 months since the creation of this blog, I have finally added a new author, my friend, fellow blogger, and long-time Big Surian, Avis Latone, aka bigsurwoman. She has agreed to come on board to assist me if I find myself out for a while, for whatever reason. She is a very busy woman, running the store at Lucia Lodge, doing her own photography, and her own blog, so I don’t expect her to post often, but I AM hoping that she will chime in occasionally with her own perspective on the news, events, and what it means to live here in God’s country. It might be fun for her to create a new page about working the tourist trade – it can be funny, sometimes. Like the questions they ask. “Does this road ever straighten out?” “Are we above sea level?” Welcome, Avis!

Lastly, I finally completed the History Spotlight for April, and it will be posted on April 1st (and no, not as an April Fool’s Day joke). It is different than what I have offered in the past, but I think you will enjoy it. I have two more in the works, but they both require extensive in-person research, so this feature may have to be bi-monthly.

If you have any suggestions, requests, admonitions, please feel free to post them in the comments below, or send me a private email at kwnovoa@mac.com.

bigsurkate, March 15, 2010

You be the judge – new Spring header

Here are the photos for the new Spring header, March photo contest. You get to choose what you see for the next 3 months. Each photo has a number, you choose which one you like best by voting the number on the poll at the end of these photographs. These are numbered in the order received. After voting is complete, and the winner announced, I will post the names of all the photographers and the place taken or depicted of all photographs.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

Now, vote for your favorite. Only one vote per reader, please, (I think the poll is actually set up to only allow one vote per computer) and the votes are completely anonymous, even to me!
REMINDER: VOTING END MARCH 19TH AT MIDNIGHT!

March Photo Contest Ends Tomorrow

Tomorrow the photo contest for the new banner for spring will end, so if you haven’t sent in your entry, better get it in today!

Rain seems to be over for a while. Lots of wildflowers out, and the sun is shining, so today would be a good day to go take that spring photo, if you don’t have one from last year!

Click here for details.

Rain total for last night, .75 inches, bringing the season total to 57.75 inches

Storm Watch, 3/12/10

2:45 pm – the rain has begun. According to the last NOAA report I read, the rain could last for the next 18 hours Up to 2 inches in the higher elevations, but that was for the Santa Cruz Mtns. north. The Santa Lucias weren’t mentioned. Reported from SF, the rain is coming down hard there, it is raining in Big Sur Valley. But the good news is that this seems to be the last storm for a week or so, unless Tuesday’s comes further south than expected.

Clouded up considerably over the morning hours, but no rain has arrived, as of 1 pm. Will be keeping an watch on it, though. After this one passes, the weekend warms up considerably, and Sunday may easily brings us temperatures in the 70’s. Looks to be dry after today’s storm for a week or more. !